Mauer plans Twins return

Catcher set to leave here today

By Glenn Miller
Fort Myers News Press

Joe Mauer is ready, once again, for baseball's prime time. The Minnesota Twins catcher and the defending American League batting champ played for the Fort Myers Miracle on Wednesday night at the Lee County Sports Complex.

Although he was 0-for-3 and failed to hit the ball out of the infield against the Vero Beach [Devil Rays], Mauer ran well and bounced around defensively. Wednesday night's rehab assignment came one month to the day after being placed on the disabled list with a left quad strain.

"Felt pretty good," Mauer said after the Miracle' 3-2 victory before an announced crowd of 1,012. "My timing didn't feel very good."

While his temporary teammates celebrated their ninth-inning, two-run rally that sparked their victory, Mauer stayed in the dugout signing autographs for perhaps 10 minutes. His leadoff walk in the ninth sparked the comeback.

At one point he said to a young girl being held by her father, "How 'ya doing."

The girl smiled. The Twins may soon have reason to smile. Mauer plans to fly to Minneapolis today and join the team in the Metrodome for its Friday game against the Washington Nationals.

"They need him up there," Miracle hitting coach Jim Dwyer coach. "Having the batting champion in your lineup helps."

The crowd gave Mauer polite applause when he strode to the plate for his first at-bat. He fell behind Vero Beach starter Wade Davis 0-1 and then hit a chopper to shortstop Neil Walton, a potential double play ball because Miracle second baseman Steve Tolleson was on first base.

Mauer legged out the throw to first for a fielder's choice instead of a double play.

On a 2-0 pitch in the fourth, he grounded out to second, hitting a slow roller. Mauer did the same in the sixth inning, except the grounder came on a 1-2 pitch.

In the first, when Vero Beach right fielder Erold Andrus, who played for the Miracle last year, struck out the ball squirted out of Mauer's glove on the third strike. As Andrus sprinted for first, Mauer looked back before spotting the ball at his feet. He threw out Andrus.

Mauer also scrambled after a ball in the third when Miracle starter Zach Ward bounced a pitch off Mauer's chest protector with Walton on third. Mauer pounced on the ball about 15 feet from home and flipped to Ward covering home. Walton slid under the tag.

Mauer wore No. 35 instead of his usual No. 7. Why?

"That was the only jersey that fit me," Mauer said.